


The Gift of Companionship (and maybe more than that)

by ThNinjassistant



Category: King of Fighters, Ryuuko no Ken | Art of Fighting (Video Games)
Genre: First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Snow, idiots to lovers, written for Robert's birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28330551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThNinjassistant/pseuds/ThNinjassistant
Summary: It's Christmas Party Time, and yet a moment of peace is all one heir wants before he has to bear anything unprepared for, though he never anticipated the two to mix.Not that he's complaining.
Relationships: Ryo Sakazaki/Robert Garcia, Sakazaki Ryou/Robert Garcia
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	The Gift of Companionship (and maybe more than that)

Robert stretched his arms individually over his head before lying down across the rough bricks and looking up at the sky in silent awe. Snow was commonplace in Southtown, but a quiet snowy night was something valuable for its serenity and scarcity. The Sakazakis were busy with their Christmas Eve post-dinner conversations and games with family friends and other friends that no one had noticed the dark haired man slipping out to lie on top of the building’s roof. If he concentrated, he could hear the chatter of the party below, acknowledgement that the party had continued fine without his presence.

Grabbing his thermos he’d kept a steady grip on, he uncapped it before taking a slow drink from the cocoa inside. With a small smile, he was greeted by his custom hot chocolate tricks; a bit of cinnamon with the chocolate, crush up candy canes or peppermint and add them after. A nice warm drink for a cold night. Cold indeed, as he felt himself shiver with a silent curse that he’d forgotten his jacket outside. Though, the view was too good to want to skip on.

He’d given his presents shortly after dinner and left while everyone was preoccupied with gift opening. He didn’t hate Christmas, far from it. He loved giving presents to the people he cared about as a sign of gratitude and affection for everything they’d done for him. It’d be a fine day if he didn’t have to accept the day as anything else. Yet here he was, avoiding everything once again.

Avoiding the responsibilities he’d been forced into, and avoiding any sort of conversation. Chuckling quickly, he took his phone out of his pocket and stared at the time. 11:54. With a resigned sigh, he pocketed the device again and closed his eyes. It was close to the big day, where the party would probably be heard from across Southtown itself from the cheer. Maybe he should leave and find a place to stay for the night-

“I was wondering where you’d gone.”

Robert opened his eyes with a sudden jump as he looked over the edge of the roof. Sure enough, the familiar sight of blonde hair and dark brown eyes was standing near the entryway to the building, staring up at him. With a light chuckle, he moved an arm down as a silent invitation, which Ryo took with a small smile. After a few moments, the two were sitting alongside each other, in a moment of rare silence before the blonde spoke up again.

“I had been wanting to talk about something with you, but you disappeared. I didn’t want to call you in case your phone was in your jacket still. May I?”

Ryo was eyeing the thermos between them with a bit of hesitance before the other gave a silent nod of approval, then grabbed the container and took a slow drink of the cocoa within. Robert laughed quietly before lying on his back again to look up at the sky once more.

“You’re the only one I trust to make a great hot chocolate, you know. Yuri gets mad that I won’t have any pre packaged stuff with her, but you’ve spoiled me.”

“Ha, is it really that good to you? It’s nothing special to make it, after all.”

The blonde shook his head fervently as he placed the container down again.

“Don’t sell yourself short now, Robert. I like it the way you make it. That’s all there is to it. But I’m getting distracted, why are you up here?”

The darker haired man responded with a point upwards, towards the stars mingling with the falling snow. After a few moments of gazing, Ryo slowly adjusted himself to lie down as well.

“...It’s pretty, isn’t it? It’s quiet, and delicate of a moment to keep preserved.”

“You know Robert, you have a tendency with some flowery language I don’t really care for. But you’re right here, it’s something to remember for sure.”

Robert started to slide his hand slowly before stopping and placing it on his chest.

“You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?” The blonde paused, seemingly taken aback, before clearing his throat.

“Ah, right. Father and Yuri very much appreciated their gifts from you, as did I. I’m surprised you remembered my favorite blooms… They’re rare, so I worry that the seeds were-”

“Nonsense, Ryo. It’s a gift for you, don’t feel bad about the price. It really wasn’t a problem to get these for you. Besides, what do you mean you’re surprised I remember? I’m your best friend, of course I remember stuff like this!”

The blonde sat up and looked down at Robert silently until the other got the message and joined him seated on the roof.

“I… wanted to give you a present, too.”

“A present? Please, Ryo. You know it and I’ll say it again: Being friends with you is more than enough, I don’t want you to spend your family’s money for me on Chri-”

“This isn’t about Christmas. You do so much for us, and you never thought to tell me when your birthday was? I had to find out about it from Karman you know. It took so much work but it was worth it.”

The strong look on the other’s face stunned the dark haired man into silence as he stared at him, a distant call from below being the only background noise.

“It’s midnight, now. Christmas day. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. Happy birthday, Robert. This is… My present.”

Robert opened his mouth to question the other, but was cut off by a hand being wrapped behind his neck and a soft, hesitant press against his lips.

It took a few moments more to realize that the other was kissing him, and before he could respond, the blonde pulled back, face turning a dark shade of pink.

“I-I… Well, I um… You know maybe this was a bad idea after all, I should go-”

“Ryo, wait.”

The blonde froze from beginning to stand with a look of concern on his face. The younger gestured for him to sit down again, and after a few moments he reluctantly did.

“That was intended as…”

“...I wouldn’t joke about something like that, Robert. I… I like you. A lot. And it makes me upset when you don’t give yourself credit, or you’re stressed, or sad. I didn’t realize that I was… Well, er… That I was feeling… things until now.”

The darker haired man paused as the other spoke, processing his words stopping at the intent.

“You… You huh?”

“I l-lo-like you. As more than a friend. I understand if you don’t feel the same way-”

“N-No no, Ryo! I do, I do! It’s just that I figured you’d be someone I’d have no chance with.”

The blonde paused with a bright red face before he laughed.

“I… Guess we’re both kind of stupid. Now come here, I don’t want to go back inside either. Yuri will pester us if we do.”

“Well, before that. Ryo. Would you want to… go on a date? With me?”

“...Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?”

“Well if you put it like that-”

“Yes.”

Robert’s face lit up alongside the growing smile across it as he reached once again and grabbed the blonde’s hand, pulling him closer with a wink.

“Then I think we can figure things out from there. But I believe I’m missing a Christmas present from you, after all.”

“Oh so _now_ you want a Christmas present,” Ryo scoffed with a small smile as he rolled his eyes before leaning in.

The festivities below were long distant in the cold starry night, as the duo sensed nothing but the other’s warmth and the mutual faint taste of chocolate and peppermint.


End file.
